Canada Green Building Council

LEED®ing by Example

The Canada Green Building Council’s new Vancouver head office sets the bar for sustainable interior design in Canada.

As Canada’s first LEED® Platinum certified interior project under the v4 framework, the CAGBC’s new Vancouver office is the benchmark for how LEED® v4 can be implemented into other office spaces. The DIALOG Interior Design, Architecture and Sustainability teams were honored to be chosen by the CAGBC to help them achieve this impressive industry first

In-kind

To help support CaGBC’s mission, DIALOG leveraged a unique workflow by securing sponsorships and in-kind contributions which required six weeks of research to find materials that achieved an acceptable level of quality and information transparency, a key tenet in the new LEED® v4 standard. Rapidly renewable materials such as Cradle2Cradle acoustic wool, Douglas Fir plywood, locally sourced wood veneer, and lamp shades made from recycled milk cartons were some of the unique materials selected. Additionally, the design team incorporated plants, which are hydrated via an innovative HVAC water capture and reuse system, that extend along structural columns to trap VOCs.

It Takes a Village

CaGBC and DIALOG proactively encouraged their staff to get involved with the project. Their input, paired with innovative design solutions, led to the development of a highly-tuned and healthy work environment with a focus on access to daylight, thermal comfort, ergonomics, and quality lighting. By utilizing transparency and layers of glazed partitions, the space became highly flexible to suit the organization’s mandate while respecting the history of its development and structure. Integrated plant life, solar shading, and acoustic considerations are features that serve to inspire staff and clients alike, as the CaGBC continues to the next stage of its mission to improve the built environment